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Evaluate my COMPLETE entry-level PC - <$1,000!!!

M

Metallica_Band

2[H]4U
Joined
Oct 23, 2002
Messages
3,437
Hey there...OK...I have put together a COMPLETE PC...tell me if any of the parts totally sux...I want this system to stay an Intel PC...this will NOT be OC'd in any way...it will be used for light gaming and internet use...it is mostly for my sisters kids...but my sister and bro-in-law will use it too...here's what I have come up with:

Case - Aspire X-Gear Mid-Tower Case w/ 350W PSU - $59.90
PSU - Included with case - n/a
CPU - Intel Pentium 4 @ 2.4BGHz / 533MHz FSB Socket 478 Retail - $135.65
Mobo - Abit IS7-E / 865PE Chipset / Socket 478 / Retail - $84.99
Memory - Corsair 512MB DDR400 PC3200 CAS3 Value Select Memory Retail - $83.00
CD/DVD-ROM - Artec 16X/48X DVD Drive (Silver) - $34.00
Burner - Artec 52X/24X/52 CD-RW (Silver) - $37.00
Floppy - 1.44MB 3.5" Floppy Drive (Silver) - $13.00
Hard Drive - Western Digital Caviar 80 GB Hard Drive - $64.00
Sound Card - Creative Sound Blaster Audigy LS Retail - $60.00
Monitor - 19" Samsung 955DF - $198.00
Video Card - PowerColor Radeon 9600 Pro (Retail) (256MB) - $144.00
Speakers - Logitech Z-640 5.1 Speaker System - $56.19
Keyboard - Microsoft Natural Multimedia Keyboard - $13.00
USB Mouse - Microsoft Intellimouse Optical - $9.00
GRAND TOTAL = $991.73!!!

Grand total INCLUDES s/h...So how'd I do??? THANX
C'YA ?:-D

EDIT: NOOOOOOOO!!!!! My sister is an IDIOT!!!! OMFG!!!! I called her tonight and she said that they had already BOUGHT a computer...she doesn't know what kind it is tho...she said that it had whatever my bro-in-law asked me about the night before...he called me last night and asked me what a Celeron was and if 512MB was a lot of memory...OMFG!!! They got the computer for ~$900...and got a rebate that lowered it to around ~$700...OMFG!!! I am SO gonna kik my sisters ass when I see her and the computer that they got!!! And I am gonna be ULTRA pissed if she got another Compaq!!! She got a crappy computer for a large price...I bet you couldn't even SELL a Celeron for $300 in a garage sale!!! Unless you sucker someone into buyig it...I'll try to get more details on what kind of PC they got and post it here...CRAP!!! I spent two nights researching PC parts for no f'n reason!!!
 
can you muster up another 30 bux for a 2.4c or even a 2.6c? It would be 30bux WELL spent.
 
for that cheap... I don't think I could do better!

But yea, I have a "c" 3.0 P4, and this thing is great, the 800MHz FSB really helps.
 
Swap in some Lite-On drives.
And maybe a WD Special Edition drive, 8 MB cache. Or even a SATA drive if you want to spend a little more cash.
 
I have less than $9 until I'm over the $1,000 barrier...I'm trying to stay nder $1,000...I'll check on some Lite-On ones tho...but what's the difference??? Is Lite-On a better brand??? If so, then how is it better??? Just wondering...THANX
C'YA ?:-D
 
Originally posted by Metallica_Band
I have less than $9 until I'm over the $1,000 barrier...I'm trying to stay nder $1,000...I'll check on some Lite-On ones tho...but what's the difference??? Is Lite-On a better brand??? If so, then how is it better??? Just wondering...THANX
C'YA ?:-D
Click to expand...

Better quality. I think most people on here would agree.
 
u could scrap some $$ from the speakers and put that towards the 2.4C
 
They MIGHT not want the speakers, monitor, keyboard, and/or mouse...the speakers and monitor will save them A LOT if they decide they just want 2.0 speakers and their current monitor
 
First off - ditch the SB Audigy..No point in having it for a 'light' duty system..(save $60)
And ditch those 2 optical drives...Like someone said in your previous thread check out the Liteon combo CD burner/CD/DVD reader for $47 (save $24)
And the Powercolor 9600 Pro 128M Powercolor ..Pretty useless to have the 256M now - esp for a kids comp (save $9)
+$26 for the 2.4B Ret>2.4C Ret..Leaves $67 below previous quote..And I'd suggest getting maybe some Mushkin Blue Line 2x256 pc3200 to take advantage of the Dual Channel capability of the mobo. Difference is something like $10..Still $50/change from start.
 
Originally posted by kush
First off - ditch the SB Audigy..No point in having it for a 'light' duty system..(save $60)
And ditch those 2 optical drives...Like someone said in your previous thread check out the Liteon combo CD burner/CD/DVD reader for $47 (save $24)
And the Powercolor 9600 Pro 128M Powercolor ..Pretty useless to have the 256M now - esp for a kids comp (save $9)
+$26 for the 2.4B Ret>2.4C Ret..Leaves $67 below previous quote..And I'd suggest getting maybe some Mushkin Blue Line 2x256 pc3200 to take advantage of the Dual Channel capability of the mobo. Difference is something like $10..Still $50/change from start.
Click to expand...

I would agree with everything but the video card drop. For nine dollars I would stick with the previous card. But the combo drive would certainly be a good idea unless you will be copying disks a lot.
 
get the 128mb 9600. its better.

its better because instead of having more ram which it wont use, it has BETTER ram which it WILL use.
 
I need to send them to that Military Dell Computer Camp that I saw on tv...LOL...anyone see that commercial??? That was funny...wish there was something like that...I'd make them go to that in a split second!!! LOL!!!
 
Omg man that fucking blows. I'd be furious. But damn, yer sister was just trying to help, eh? Oh well... sorry to hear about that.

-Logiks
 
That sucks, but look at the bright side. Wait is there one?
 
I bought a Compaq recently. About $400 after rebates and that includes a 15" flat panel monitor (which I gave to my wife for V-day). I upgraded it massively, but the sum of all the parts (including OS) was worth more than my cost.

OEM does not necessarily = suckage. Celeron, on the other hand...
 
My .02 on dell/hp/etc. "budget" OEMs:

The bad (depending on the OEM) :
Proprietary parts, such as: cases, power supplies, memory, motherboards. (if its dell, its probably all of the above)

Usually lousey tech support. (not that overseas people are somehow bad, but i personally believe tech support should be at least located on the continent that the problem resides in)
Usually very, very cheap cases.
Usually cheap monitors/speakers/mice/keyboards
Usually way to little ram (ive seen 128 meg win xp hp/compaq pcs. Recently)
Usually preloaded with enough stuff that it overburdens the little amount of ram it has.
Onboard video sucking up ram that wasnt enough to begin with.
usually cheap fans.
Usually cheap power supplies.
Usually lousey driver support.
Sometimes require a certain length contract with ISPs such as AOL in order to get those rebates.
Sometimes need to send the PC somewhere to get a warrenty service done.
Sometimes requires a certified tech (such as HP certified)
Of the compaq machines my family members have bought, almost all required service in one year (ram died in one within a few months). Not sure if this is a statistical lightning strike or not.
Often no AGP slot on the mobo.

The good:
All in one package.
Warrenties (although even most OEM parts carry lavish ones)
Often rebates.
Windows preinstalled
No building time if you're lazy.
Requires no PC exp.
Usually a minnimal investment. (cheap)
Often come with flat screen monitors.
Easy to setup (this is pretty quickly changing, as most new mobo's come with colored connectors on the back, or are labeled in some fashion)


If you're spending a few hundred dollars on something, you're better off getting something you can upgrade and you're sure is high quality. In my opinion. Then again im not at ALL partial in this. I could relate dozens of horror stories, but this post is already long enough. :D
 
Which is why I was careful to buy one I could upgrade and why I reinstalled the OS. ;)

It now has 1GB of memory, a pair of 120GB 8MB cache hard drives and an AIW 9800 Pro in it. The mobo is an Asus (KM400 based) and even has SATA and Firewire. The PSU is only 250W, but it is an absolute brick: I've got (allegedly) 400W supplies that aren't built as solid. I'll probably swap the contents into another case later and swap the current case/PSU with my parents' case/PSU (which is bigger than what they actually need and they'll probably prefer the size reduction).

I bought another Compaq over a year ago that has given me almost 0 problems (had some trouble getting into Windows at one point, but I swapped a stick of memory (which WASN'T the memory it came with) and everything was good again). I upgraded the memory and the hard drive immediately after verifying that it worked "out of the box" and eventually swapped out the CPU (to use elsewhere (locked 2400+)) and put in an OCed 1700+ (pin mod, wires-in-the-socket style). KM266 based board with an AGP slot.

The cooling in both cases is rather weak, but it is quiet.

If you're careful what you buy, you can get your hands on a damn good foundation for very little cost.
 
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